E-commerce multinational, Ebay, is predicting a bumper June, expecting Aussie consumers to spend $25m more than the same period last year alone.
According to a new research by the online marketplace, its June sales have grown at 28 per cent over the past five years and anticipates that more than 12.5 million items will be purchased on the site over the month.
Ebay attributes the growth in sales during June to a newly evolved consumer behaviour being coined as ‘buy-bernation’. The trend is born out of consumers not needing to leave the house as the temperature drops due to the convenience of mobile apps which allow people to do everything from order food, stream films or find a date, giving more time to dual screen browse and shop.
“End of financial year sales have always been strong but are becoming more and more lucrative for retailers who are able to cater to the newly evolved kinds of shoppers out there,” said Megan English, Ebay spokesperson and trend watcher.
“It’s going to be important to deliver deals and savings that are contextual to winter and pop-culture moments, not just those items that traditionally perform well when discounted.”
According to the research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Ebay, comfort is a priority for buyers in winter, with over one third (37 per cent) spending more on products for the home. Thirty-nine per cent of respondents say they are investing in home furnishing and decor, while 31 per cent are buying home entertainment systems, media and technology items to keep themselves occupied whilst tucked up indoors.
The research also revealed that almost two thirds (63 per cent) of Australians plan to stay in during the colder months and 42 per cent will shop online more often during this time.
Ebay predicts that in June alone, Australians will spend more than 19 million hours on site browsing, spending an average of 10 minutes per session.
A breakdown of the most active postcodes during the month of June suggests that the pattern of ‘buy-bernating’ aligns with the cold weather, with Werribee (Victoria), Cranbourne (Victoria), Hoppers Crossing (Victoria), Liverpool (NSW) and Frankston (Victoria) topping the list.
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